A labyrinth of food and much more

15102012

Besides Coloane Village, another place in Macau that I would surely find many happy moments exploring in is Taipa Village. In the shadow of the new at the not so far away Cotai Strip, and closer to Macau Peninsula, the village is on the island of the same name. In it is not only that meeting of east and west to discover, but also several well preserved colonial era buildings centered on the Avenida da Praia and also at Carmel Square. It is also a world where one can lose oneself, wandering the streets and finding little bits of not just the old world, but also some rather delectable treats – one famous one being the famed Tai Lei Loi Kei Pork Chop Bun, to indulge oneself in. Although not comprehensive, the following are seven things that one must do to discover that bit of old Macau in Taipa:

Taipa Village as seen off the reflection of a convex traffic mirror.

The new world of the Cotai Strip looms over old Taipa.

The streets of Taipa offer a fascinating insight into life in older Macau.

As the group of bloggers were to discover.

Old World Discoveries

Taipa is rich in the old world, including several well preserved buildings from the colonial era centered in the Praia area. On the heights above the Praia is a delightful little square with some excellent examples of public and religious architecture including Taipa Library and the Church of Our Lady of Carmel. Below this on the Avenida da Praia, there are also a row of five very pretty houses from the colonial period – beautifully preserved as the Taipa Houses-Museum. In each house, visitors are offered a look back in time into the colonial life with the first furnished much as it would have been during the colonial era, as well as Portuguese traditions, and into traditional industries.

(1) Carmel Square

Taipa Library at Carmel Square (photograph taken with a Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GF5).

Church of Our Lady of Carmel, Carmel Square built in 1885 (photograph taken with a Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GF5).

(2) Avenida da Praia and the Taipa Houses Museum

The Taipa Houses Museum, a row of 5 colonial heritage houses along the Avenida da Praia (photograph taken with a Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GF5).

Ai Sakura at the Avenida da Praia.

Taipa Houses Museum.

The Taipa Houses Museum offers a peek into an old world.

A child’s toy at the Taipa Houses Museum.

Admission to Taipa-Houses Museum (Closed on Mondays):
MOP/HKD5 per adult
FREE for visitors under 12 yrs old and above 65 years old
FREE admission on every Tuesdays.

Food Glorious Food

Taipa is also well known for its food and snacks with a host of well established eating places that offer Cantonese, Macanese and Portuguese cuisine including the O Manuel Portuguese Restaurant. There are also several food discoveries to be made, and besides the famous Pork Chop Bun there is also the famous Taipa Food Street,Rua do Cunha, lined with confectioneries and snack shops to discover, and not to forget, another must try are the Birds Nest Egg Tarts from San Hou Lei a little eatery on the Rua do Regedor.

(3) Rua do Cunha (Taipa Food Street)

The writing on the wall of a confectionery at one end of the famous Taipa Food Street (photograph taken with a Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GF5).

Almond cookies in the works at Taipa Food Street (photograph taken with a Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GF5).

One thing that I would certainly do when I do return to Macau is to roam the streets of Taipa (as well as Coloane and the area around Senado Square) just to get lost and find what Macau is truly all about. On the evidence of that little bit of time when I did actually get lost as the group walked ahead while I waited for Chun See who had paid a visit to the gents was that there was a wonderful labyrinth of lanes and alleyways – each with a unique charm and certainly one to discover and to photograph.

(7) Getting lost

The streets of Taipa make it a wonderful place to roam around …

… and get lost in …

Street scene.

The streets offer lots of little discoveries.

There’s lots of colour ….

The streets also offer a peek into life in the old world ….

… through its labyrinth of alleyways.

Village street (photograph taken with a Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GF5).

A shady tree lined road in Taipa Village (photograph taken with a Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GF5).

Street sign.

Street scene.

Another street scene.

More street scenes …. (photograph taken with a Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GF5).

Houses (photograph taken with a Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GF5).

More houses (leading up to Taipa Food Street) (photograph taken with a Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GF5).

A shuttered shop.

A sidewalk in Taipa.

The trip was made possible by the kind sponsorship of the Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) which included a three night stay at the Grand Lapa Macau, and also Tiger Airways who sponsored the two way flights.

Note: this is a repost of my post on the omy.sg My Macau Experience 2012 site which sees 10 bloggers share experiences of their visit to Macau. Readers will get a chance to vote for their favourite My Macau Experience 2012 blogger and stand a chance to win $1000 worth of Macau travel vouchers. Voting has started (on 28 September 2012) and ends on 15 October 2012. Votes can be cast on a daily basis at the My Macau Experience 2012 Voting page.

Boracay Island Escapade

Together with 9 other bloggers and thanks to Tigerair Philippines and the Philippine Department of Tourism, I found myself on a dream trip to Boracay in July 2013. Read about the fantastic experience I had at Boracay Island Escapade or on my blog.

The Last of the Dragons

At least nine Dragon (or Snake) Kilns were once found along the 13th to 18th Milestones of Jurong Road, attracted by the availability of Jurong White Clay - ideal material for clay latex cups. The cups were fired by the kilns to feed a huge demand from the rubber estates in the area. Over the years, most of the kiln closed due to the vanishing demand as the estates gave way to urban development. Only two, both of which have stopped operating commercially, have survived. The area the two, the Jalan Bahar and Thow Kwang kilns, are in is slated for development as a CleanTech Park, and the future for these kilns now looks bleak.

Much Ado About Bukit Brown

Trailer for BUKIT BROWN VOICES. The a short independently-made documentary tells the story of Singapore's oldest Chinese cemetery on the cusp of major change. Filmed during what is the last Qing Ming (grave sweeping) festival for some families whose ancestors are buried there, we hear their thoughts and memories about what the place and the customs they practise mean to them (a Film by Su-Mae Khoo & Brian McDairmant of Two Chiefs).

Gardens by the Bay

The out-of-this-world 54 ha. Bay South Garden of the massive Gardens by the Bay was officially opened by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on 28 Jun 2012. It opening its doors to the public the following day attracted huge crowds on opening weekend. The series of posts here are from several media previews, opportunities to photograph the gardens before it was opened to the public, and of the official opening during which I had a better view of the completed Cloud Forest - one of two cooled conservatories at the garden. Two photographs that I took prior to the opening were among 20 that were selected for a roving exhibition.

Singapore Memory Portal

Share your personal memories on the Singapore Memory Portal - an initiative by the National Library Board (NLB) as part of the Singapore Memory Project (SMP). The SMP is a national initiative started in 2011 to collect, preserve and provide access to Singapore’s knowledge materials, so as to tell the Singapore Story and aims to collect 5 million personal memories by 2015.

Walks back in time with the NLB

Beyond the Slumber (Sembawang - 27 Mar 2011)

Highlights of a heritage tour of Sembawang, with a focus on the Sembawang that I was familiar with in the 1970s. The two and a half hour tour included a visit to the last kampung mosque in Singapore, as well as to several other points of interest in Sembawang. Information relating to the walk and some of what we saw or were transported to can be found in the post “Sembawang beyond the Slumber”.

One Hundred Steps to Heaven (Central - 26 Feb 2011)

I took participants on a walk with the NLB up a hundred steps to the heavenly world of Mount Sophia that was home to the fairy-tale like mansions such as Eu Villa (demolished in 1981). We also explored the neighbouring Mount Emily, the site of Singapore’s first public swimming pool and along with that, some of the areas that were once part of a Jewish and then Japanese quarter. Information relating to the walk and some of what we saw or were transported to can be found in the post “One Hundred Steps to Heaven”.

A four day adventure in the Fragrant Harbour

Courtesy of the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), I had the opportunity to have a 4 day adventure in Hong Kong with 9 other bloggers. To read our collective Hong Kong Travel Blog entries, please click on the icon below: